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US 6,788,724 B2Granted
Hermetically sealed external cavity laser system and method
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsJohn E. Sell, Paul N. Ludwig, Victor M. Alvarez, Ronald L. Strijek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An external cavity laser in a hermetically sealed container and methods for hermetically sealing the external cavity laser. The external cavity laser may be tunable by various mechanisms to allow transmission at multiple selectable wavelength channels.
Claims32
A apparatus, comprising:
- an external cavity laser having an external cavity and a laser source within the external cavity;
- a hermetically sealable container enclosing said external cavity laser in an inert atmosphere;
- an activated carbon drain positioned within said hermetically sealable container to absorb outgassing compounds;
- and
- a heat source thermally coupled to at least one of said laser source and said external cavity to maintain said at least one of said laser source and said external cavity at a first temperature above a second temperature of said activated carbon drain when said laser source is not powered to prevent contamination of said at least one of said laser source and said external cavity.
2 more elements
A laser apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a gain medium including an active region and having first and second output facets;
- (b) an end mirror, said first output facet of said gain medium and said end mirror defining an external cavity, said active region of said gain medium to emit a beam along an optical path in said external cavity, said end mirror positioned in said optical path;
- (c) a hermetically sealed container enclosing said external cavity within an inert atmosphere;
- (d) a moisture trap positioned within said hermetically sealed container to absorb moisture within said hermetically sealed container;
- and
- (e) a heat source thermally coupled to at least one of said gain medium and said end mirror to maintain said at least one of said gain medium and said end mirror at a first temperature above a second temperature of said moisture trap when said gain medium is not powered to prevent condensation on said at least one of said gain medium and said end mirror.
3 more elements
A laser apparatus, comprising:
- (a) an external cavity laser having an external cavity and a laser source within the external cavity;
- (b) means for hermetically sealing said external cavity laser in an inert atmosphere;
- (c) means for absorbing volatile organic compounds within said hermetically sealable container;
- and
- (d) means for heating at least one of said laser source and said external cavity to a first temperature above a second temperature of said means for absorbing when said laser source is not powered to prevent contamination of said at least one of said laser source and said external cavity.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- generating an optical beam along an optical path with a laser source;
- feeding back at least a portion of the optical beam having a selected wavelength to the laser source;
- selecting the selected wavelength with optical elements of an external cavity, the laser source and external cavity enclosed in an inert atmosphere using a hermetically sealed container;
- absorbing moisture within the hermetically sealed container with a moisture trap;
- and
- heating at least one of the laser source and the optical elements to a first temperature above a second temperature of the moisture trap when the laser source is not powered to prevent condensation on the at least one of the laser source and the optical elements.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.